LIVERMORE — Firefighters contained a large brush fire Saturday, one of several that popped up earlier in the morning along Interstate 580 in far eastern Alameda County.
The largest fire was fully contained by noon, according to Ed Orre, division chief of the Cal Fire Santa Clara unit. He said four separate blazes had consumed roughly 55 acres total, with the largest fire burned most of that acreage.
“The beauty of a grass fire is they’re fine, flashy fuels,” Orre said. “They can travel very quickly, but the fuels are light and burn up quickly.”
Crews from the Alameda County Fire Department started battling the flames around 7 a.m. near Grant Line Road, which burned next to westbound traffic and closed the no. 4 lane, according to tweets from the California Highway Patrol’s Dublin office.
The Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, Cal Fire and the CHP all responded to several fires that erupted over an 8-mile stretch.
Investigators were still working to pinpoint a specific cause of the fires, but Orre added that weather conditions were warm and dry overnight Friday. The CHP said earlier that they were investigating the series of fires as possible arson incidents.
The CHP asked that anyone with information about the fires call 707-641-8300.
Proceed with caution westbound I-580 on the Altamont. Firefighters are battling a 25 acre fire at Grant Line Rd. The #4 lane is closed. CHP investigating possible arson incidents (several fires) over an 8 mile stretch. If you have information, please call us (707) 641-8300. pic.twitter.com/JH2pziz3q6
— CHP Dublin Area (@CHPDublin) July 22, 2023
Source: www.mercurynews.com